Nuremberg (15)

James Vanderbilt turns the Nuremberg trials into a tense, sharply crafted historical thriller that plays with the urgency of a political nail-biter.

Drawing on firsthand accounts, this post-war drama follows the scramble to bring Nazi leadership to justice after Hitler’s death. When Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) is captured, military psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) is dispatched to assess him, working closely with translator Howie (Fabien Frankel). As Kelley probes Göring’s charm and cunning, US Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson (Michael Shannon) fights to build a legally sound tribunal that the world will accept. With atrocities emerging and political pressure mounting, the question becomes not just how to try these men, but what justice can look like in the aftermath of unimaginable horror.

Vanderbilt keeps the drama lively with vivid behind-the-scenes details and a large, engaging ensemble. Crowe’s magnetic swagger makes Göring a disturbingly compelling presence, while Malek brings a cool, coiled intelligence that turns their exchanges into the film’s sharpest scenes. Frankel adds warmth as the quietly perceptive translator, and the supporting cast contribute texture even when the script gives them limited space.

Handsomely mounted and briskly paced, Vanderbilt’s film balances procedural intrigue with psychological tension, offering a fresh, absorbing retelling of history without overstating its conclusions